Julia Swan-Black

Chapter 7

As they ate lunch together, enjoying the still exotic dishes they didn't talk about earlier as they decided to not let anyone know they have been entered in the tournament. They eat in mostly silence other than guessing what the tasks could be as that seems normal. As they were eating, loud footsteps could be heard approaching. 

Madame Maxine entered the hall with her students lined up behind her. One by one, the Beauxbatons students stepped across the age line and dropped their slips of parchment into the blue-white flames. As each name entered the fire, it turned briefly red and emitted sparks. Once they had all entered their names Madame Maxine led them all out without so much a word to anyone else, weird. 

They spent the rest of the day planning and talking to Professor Snape who was concerned for them though he tried not to show it. He said he would look into Professor Moody for them and get back to them. He then flooed the trio to see their guardians to talk one on one. 

Regulus pulled Julia into a hug before, Her, Harry and Draco being passed between them as they are hugged. They spill everything. The adults are angry and scheming already. They were planning for hours and a lot of new books for learning were given to them to study and extra classes set up for with them on Saturdays and Snape during the week. 

As much as they wanted to stay it was getting late and Hogwarts dinner time was approaching. They hugged and reluctantly flooed back to Hogwarts, Snape's office and headed up to the Great hall together. Snape following a little bit behind them. 

When they entered the candlelit Great hall it was was almost full. The Goblet of Fire had been moved closer to the staff table, opposite Dumbledore's chair. Dinner was a mainly quiet affair, everyone excited with anticipation sitting in the air. Students were anxious for who was going to be picked as the Hogwarts champion. 

The Hallowe'en feast seemed to take longer than usual. Perhaps because it was the second feast in two days, Harry and Julia on the other hand didn't seem to fancy the extravagantly prepared food as much as they normally would. Their nerves about everyone's reactions filling them. Everyone could agree though that dinner was lasting a little too long, judging by the constantly craning necks and the impatient expressions on their faces. 

At long last the golden plates returned to their previously spotless state; there was a sharp upswing in the level of noise within the hall, which died almost instantly as Dumbledore got to his feet. On either side of him Headmaster Karkaroff and Madame Maxime looked as tense and expectant as anyone. Ludo Bagman was beaming and winking at various students. Mr Crouch however, looked quite uninterested almost bored. 

"Well the Goblet is almost ready to make its decision. I estimate it won't be too long now. Now when the champions names are called, I would ask them please to come up to the top of the hall, walk along the staff table, and go through to the next chamber where they will be receiving their first instructions." Dumbledore says to the students. 

Dumbledore took out his wand and gave a great sweeping wave with it; at once, all the candles except those inside the carved pumpkins was extinguished, plunging them all into a state of semi-darkness. The goblet of fire now shone more brightly than anything in the whole hall, the sparkling bright, bluey-whiteness of the flames almost painful on the eyes. Everyone was watching, waiting. 

The flames inside the goblet turned a bright red, sparks flying off of it. Next moment a tongue of flame shot up into the air, a charred piece of paper flying off of it. The whole room gasped before holding their breath nervous. Dumbledore held the piece of parchment and held it at arms length, so that he could read it by the light of the flames, which turned back to blue white. 

"The champion for Durmstrang, ... Will be Victor Krum!" He read in a strong clear voice. A storm of applause and cheering swept across the hall. Victor got up from his seat at the Slytherin table from next to Blaise and walked strongly up to Dumbledore, then past him down the staff table and disappeared through the door into the next chamber. 

The clapping and chatting dies down. Now everyone's attention was focused again on the goblet, which seconds later turned red once more. A second piece of parchment shot out of it propelled by the flames into the air. "The champion for Beauxbatons is, ...  Fleur Delacour!" He called out to the unusually quiet room. 

A girl who resembled a veela, with her sheet of silvery blond hair, stood up and walked gracefully up to Dumbledore from the Ravenclaw table. There was a mixed of stunned faces and whoops and cheers as she too vanished into the side chamber next to the staff table. Silence fell again, but this time it was a silence so stiff with excitement you could almost taste it. The Hogwarts champion was next. 

Finally the Goblet of fire turned red once more; sparks showered out of it; the tongue of flame shot high into the hair into the air, and from its tip Dumbledore pulled the third piece of parchment. "The Hogwarts champion is, ... Gred Forge Weasley!" He called out confused as Julia held back a laugh as Fred and George stood up together and headed to Dumbledore before going down the staff table and going into the chamber together. The uproar from all the students was deafening. Everyone still was so happy it was them. 

It took a while for Dumbledore to get his voice heard again. "Excellent! We have our three champions - " Dumbledore calls out happily as the noise calms down. Dumbledore cuts off though as the flames on the goblet turned red again confusing everyone. Sparks were flowing off off of it as another long flame shot out a piece of paper. Dumbledore grabbed it, reading it out in shock. "Julia Black!" he called out angrily. 

She faked a look of shock looking around as everyone turned to stare at her. "Julia Black!" He called out again as she slowly stood up and walked towards him. Once there was 10 feet between them, seeing everyone's faces she pulled her wand out as people looked on in shock. "I solemnly swear on my magic I did not ask anyone to put my name in that goblet nor did I put my name in myself." Julia says loudly, the gold magic wrapping around her as everyone looked on in shock. 

Magic vows aren't something to play around with. She then held her wand up. "expecto patronum." She mutters as a Wolf comes out of her wand. though not a normal sized wolf but bear sized. It ran around the room before disappearing. People started quietly clapping for her as she walks past Dumbledore into the side room. 

A few seconds later the blue flame turns red again, shooting of sparks before the final piece of parchment flutters out as Dumbledore catches it. He looks down in a small version of horror before controlling his face. "Harry Potter!" He calls out as Harry fake gasps and looks around scared. "Harry Potter Please come to the front!" He try's again. Harry slowly stood up and immediately got his wand out seeing the accusing glances. 

"I know you won't just believe my word. I solemnly swear on my magic I did not ask anyone to put my name in the goblet, I didn't put my name in the goblet and the only reason it was probably put in there was to kill me." Harry said frustrated, looking Dumbledore in the eyes. "expecto patronum!" He says loudly as a stag exits his wand and runs around the room before disappearing. Loud claps were heard as Harry went past Dumbledore and into the side room.